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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997 April Newsletter a 2 APRIL, 1997 a } HUGO CITY HALL, 5524 UPPER 1461 : EIOkTH H M :h,49-bb�b ' X A"k a WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT HUGO'S PARKS AND OPEN SPACES? As the City of Hugo continues to grow, it has become Preservation of Natural Areas increasingly important that the City plan for the develop- Residents expressed a need to preserve and ment of parks and the preservation of open space. connect natural areas throughout the City. In December, the City began work on a parks master plan. When completed and approved, this plan will help Neighborhood Parks guide development so that the City will have parks and ® Residents would like to see neighborhood open spaces that respond to the needs and desires of the parks and provide safe and convenient areas residents of Hugo. for children to play. To help in the planning process, the City assembled a The City has scheduled another public park planning Park Planning Steering Committee. The Committee, meeting, to give residents an opportunity to review made up of residents representing a broad range of inter- and comment on preliminary plans that have been s, has been working closely with the City's park plan- developed in response to this vision. Residents inter-g consultants, Sanders Wacker Bergly, Inc. In ested in the future of the city's parks and open spaces February, the committee held a public meeting at which are encouraged to attend. the residents of Hugo were asked to express their vision for the future of Hugo's parks and open spaces. Here is �z what they expressed: Mi ` M Sk ■r en Spaces Multi-Use Trails ` �rr� aid 1p Residents want a variety of multi-use trails j that connect to parks, natural areas, and , � Biu Efemenlar School other state and regional trails. Trail usage �� � Y would include walking, biking, inline skat- Saurdoy, April 26 ing, cross country skiing, horseback riding, and snowmobiling. N f© 12:OC} noon Large Community Parkes r Residents want a large, centrally located = community park that would include a vari- ety of athletic fields. The park may also have a communitycenter that would pro- vide P vide year-round indoor activities including swimming and basketball. 1997 COMPOST SITE HOURS •Every Saturday in May from 9 AM to 4 PM. you looking for a place to deposit your spring gar- • The first Saturday of the month in June, July, g residue? Hugo residents may bring their grass August, and September, from 10 AM to 2 PM. Clippings, leaves, and other soft organic matter(no • Every Saturday in October from 9 AM to 4 PM.` brush, tree limbs or wood) to the City's compost site •The first two Saturdays in November from located approximately 1/4 mile west of Forest 9 AM to 4 PM. Boulevard on 170th Street. Hours of operation for the Compost may be picked up at the site, free of charge to site are: Hugo residents, during the same hours. QUICK TAKES UPDATES CNV CURRENT CITY ISSUES } New Fire Hall The Fire Hall Development Committee is looking at ways to The Planning Commission is completing its review of the pl improve the existing Fire Hall to meet the Department's needs. and will provide its recommendations to the Council this sprin . With the assistance of the architectural firm of Trossen-Wright, A copy of the proposed plan is available for public review at the the Committee reviewed the following two options: City Hall. 1 s Renovate the existing building and add 10,280 square feet 014 of new construction. This is meant to house the Fire Department and City Hall. The estimated cost for this � e r option is $1,116,623. Street improvements would cost another$255,000. Renovate the existing building and add on 5,048 square feet of new construction. This would serve the Fire Department only. The City Hall would move elsewhere. Construction costs for this option were estimated at $652,859, with street improvements costing another $255,000. In addition to the potential cost,the Committee is considering vehicle access, safety, and other functional issues. - In order to increase public participation in the decision-making process, the City Council has scheduled a public workshop for Saturday,May 31, 1997 to discuss this issue. The meeting will ' be held from 9 AM to noon at the Hugo Elementary School. Visual concepts for Hugo's downtown Residents are encouraged to.attend. Clearwater Creek Improvements _ Based on the Clearwater Creek Comprehensive Stormwater —romp HoSE Management Plan jointly prepared b the cities of Lino Lakes -rf. _j and Hugo, the City has directed the firm of WSB and u7EF —j N Associates to prepare more detailed plans for the Creek's I � improvement. The intent of this project is to improve the > N c rrY I stormwater management of the area, enhance wildlife habitat, t.N ,4 I and potentially provide for increased public recreational oppor- f,v�S1ati H EXA H,,Ict tiXiSTiN� ' C tunities. Z c The area surrounding Clearwater Creek is rapidly urbanizing. �! rn The City is working with adjacent communities, the Rice Creek Watershed District, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to develop plans and resources to protect this valu- UPPER 146TH STREET able environmental and open space. Hugo's goals for this Possible layout for fire hall (option #JJ effort are: Downtown Plan •Expand the floodplain A recommended plan for redevelopment of the commercial area -Reduce erosion along Forest Boulevard(Hwy 61)near Frenchman Road was -Expand and improve functions and values of wetland areas recently presented to the City Council and Planning - Reduce velocity of water flow in channel Commission. The plan was the result of over a year of study - Reduce peak rates of water discharge downstream and discussion with residents and business owners. The plan -Re-establish areas of natural prairie envisions both aesthetic and traffic-carrying improvements to -Widen and deepen creek channel toimprove fishery and Forest Boulevard, rebuilding and expanding businesses in the navigational potential area, and opening up the view to Egg Lake. •Improve stormwater treatment capability of the area Increase/restore biodiversity within corridor Design ideas include developing a pedestrian-friendly area,use 0 of joint parking lots by businesses, and creating a unified theme Recreational use of the corridor is being considered in the for building construction based on the lines of the Feed Mill., Master Parks,Recreation and Open Space Plan. WSB will be providing the Council with their recommendations for stormwa- ter and environmental improvements mid-summer of this year. Quick Takes continued next page. . . Quick Takes continued . . . Hardwood Creek Management Organization, has agreed to pursue a solu- The City of Hugo and the Rice Creek Watershed District tion. The Commissioners directed the Washington are conducting a joint study to determine Hardwood County Soil and Water Conservation Service to coordi- Creek's historic ditch profile. This information will be nate a plan for drawing down the flood waters in the lWful in developing an improved stormwater manage- School Section/Goggin's Lake basin. The timing of the ent plan for the Creek and its watershed. The ditch project, and assessments to benefited properties, are still profile report will be completed late spring of this year. to be decided. A public meeting on the planned improvements will be held once the County has deter- Brown's Creek mined a definite course of action. School Section Lake, Lake Plaisted, and surrounding areas have been suffering from unusually high water ele- Comprehensive Plan Adoption vations since 1995. This has flooded property and public The City's revised Comprehensive Plan is before the roads, while placing homes at risk. The City has been Metropolitan Council for approval. This document is the working with the affected residents, May Township, and strategic guide for future development of the community, Washington County to find a solution to this problem. and steers expansion of the City's Municipal Utility Recently, the Washington County Board of Service Area. A copy of the plan is available at City Commissioners, acting as the Brown's Creek Water Hall for public review. ATTENTION DOG OWNERS Dog owners need to be aware of their responsibilities Licenses are required for all dogs six months of age or under the City's Animal Control Ordinance. The follow older, which are kept or housed in the City of Hugo. ing summary outlines some of the key provisions of the The one exception to this rule is for"visiting dogs" that ordinance,but does not cover all responsibilities and are kept in the community for thirty days or less. Visiting 10 uirements. Copy of the City's dog ordinance is avail- dogs must be kept in an enclosure or on a leash at all e-at City Hall for the cost of reproduction($2.00). times. It is unlawful for any person to allow their dog to: The term of all dog licenses runs concurrently with the • Run at large, except as a necessary element to a dog's rabies vaccination. Proof of rabies vaccination is bona fide live stock operation. required for licensing. Failure to renew a license within • thirty days of the expiration of a dog's rabies.vaccination Damage property not belonging to the animal's will result in a late-license penalty being added to the owner• license fee. Dog licenses are obtained at City Hall. • Chase or molest persons (including those_riding in automobiles, on bikes, or on horses) on public right-of-way. DOG LICENSE.FEE SCHEDULE Fee for •Attack or kill domestic livestock off the property of . neutered or the animal's owner. License durotion Fee spayed animal •Unreasonably or excessively disturb the peace: • Be kept in unsanitary conditions. 18 Months to 2 Years $10.00 Any person may seize, impound, or restrain any dog 1 Year to 17 Months $7.:.50 $,6.0'0 found running off the property of its owner. The animal must be turned over to the City's Animal Control Warden Less than I Year $ 5.00 $4.00 as expeditiously as possible by calling the Washington County Sheriff's Department at 439-9381. Late license Penalty $5.00 Impounded animals are kept for a period of 10 days by (1st month) imal Control & Management Inc., 1283 Hammond Late License Penalty $10.00 d,White Bear Township, 426-4013. Owners collect- (over 1 month) ing their animal from impoundment will be charged for the animal's boarding and collection. Unlicensed animals ; must be licensed by the City prior to their release from impoundment. WATER MESSAGES Water Quality Improvement Meter Replacement This spring the City will begin adding phosphates to its munic- A process of replacing older water meters in the system will ipal water supply. This will help to clarify the water and also begin soon. The City has contracted with U.S. an reduce "brown water"incidents. Phosphates are widely used Filter/Water Pro to replace 250 older meters in the system. throughout the state for the sequestering of iron and manganese This is being done to maintain billing accuracy and reduce in drinking water. The deep wells from which the City draws labor costs. its water are rich in these two minerals, which contribute to Water Pro will be contacting residents whose meters are over occasional discoloration of the water. The phosphates will keep ten years old to arrange a time for replacement: The new the iron and manganese from settling out and becoming rust. meters will be connected to the home's phone line and read There are no known human health effects from phosphates at automatically by computer. The meters are being replaced at the levels added for this type of treatment. In fact, certain no cost to the homeowner. Computer reading occurs in the brands of soda pop contain more phosphates than you will find early morning hours, and does not require the phone to ring. in Hugo's treated water. The new type of meter will greatly reduce the time required to Hugo's municipal water supply has always been safe. It is test- read the water meters and prepare bills, saving on system oper- ed daily by the City and closely monitored by the Minnesota ating costs. Department of Health. Homes that connect to the municipal system in the future will receive the new type of meter. Other meters in the system will be switched out as they need replacement. If you have questions on these projects, or the water system in general, please contact Mike Kriz, the City's Maintenance Supervisor, at City Hall. L G0 BULK RATE 07CffY HALL NEWSLMER POSTAGE 5524 Upper 146th Street North Hugo, MN 55038 HUGO, MN 55038 PERMIT NO. 21 OCCUPANT Dog Owners See Inside